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Alcoholism as a Primary Disease
  
Adopted: October 01, 1983
Revised: October 01, 1996
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Public Policy Statement on Alcoholism as a Primary Disease

Based on many years of clinical experience, reinforced by recent and continuing research into the genetic, biochemical and physiological aspects of the effects of alcohol on living systems and of alcoholics and their families, the American Society of Addiction Medicine finds that alcoholism is a complex primary physiological disease, and neither a primary behavior disorder nor a symptomatic manifestation of any other disease process.

Related Policy Topics:
Addiction Medicine: Basic Concepts
Addictive Diseases
Drugs: Alcohol

Related Public Policies:
Abstinence
  [Printable PDF]
Core Benefit for Primary Care and Specialty Treatment and Prevention of Alcohol, Nicotine and Other Drug Abuse and Dependence
  [Printable PDF]
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© Copyright 2008. American Society of Addiction Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to make digital or hard copies of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for commercial, advertising or promotional purposes , and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form on servers, redistribution to lists, or other uses of this material, require prior specific written permission or license from the Society. ASAM Public Policy Statements normally may be referenced in their entirety only, without editing or paraphrasing, and with proper attribution to the Society. Excerpting any statement for any purpose requires specific written permission from the Society. Public Policy statements of ASAM are revised on a regular basis; therefore, those wishing to utilize this document must ensure that it is the most current position of ASAM on the topic addressed.